The Tip of the Iceberg {Ryst} [Finished]

[delanie]

No, no one had become injured, but that did not mean it could not happen in the future. Ani loved her twin more than anyone in the world, and so she felt very protective when she decided to do such dangerous things. Sure, she enjoyed having fun, too, but icicle boarding down a mountainside seemed a bit much to her. Moments such as these had her wondering if she was keeping Aya back at all, because she was not nearly as bold and brave as her twin. She was a wallflower, and so easily overlooked in favor of her more tenacious sister. While Aya had always felt shadowed within the grace of their eight elder sisters, Ani had always felt overshadowed by Aya in some way. [She had never admitted this, and she never would, because Aya deserved to shine.] Instead, Ani merely smile gently at her twin, not saying a word as she was patted upon her head as a reassurance. No, she would not complain if it meant staying by her sister's side for as long as she could.

Ani took to peering over at Lord Ryst instead, seeing the rapt attention he gave to her fiery sister. To her, it was easy to see the growing affection he held for Aya. Honestly, it was rather nice to see someone else getting along with her, since Aya had the bad habit of losing her temper at males. It was so odd for her to be in the presence of someone important, but she believed he wanted to be treated as just himself, not as the Lord of the Oocca. Well, then Ani would not think of him as royalty, but as a traveler like herself and her sister. Clasping her hands together, she tried to appear confident, but she blushed brightly when the handsome Lord smiled at her. Carmine eyes flickered onto the snow beneath her boots, finding the snowflakes much more interesting than her sister or this Lord. Why was she so shy in front of men? In front of anyone! It was a wonder that anyone noticed her at all. Ani listened as her sister questioned about the City in the Sky, and mentally she pictured what such a city could look like. An entire city that could only be seen by those that could fly! The young fairy was certainly no Oocca, but it appeared that Lord Ryst would certainly welcome her twin.

"I-I would also enjoy seeing your city, i-if it is of little trouble to you," Ani requested demurely. It was obvious to her that her sister was enamored with this Lord, and he was quite taken with her in a way. Honestly, Ani half wished she had stayed at the base of the mountain, so she would not become this awkward weight the two of them would have to endure. With her own wishes voiced, her gaze fell back onto the snow before her, avoiding meeting the gaze of either of them. Oh, the poor dear always withdrew into herself when uncomfortable. Being so close to a male, who was a Lord, and knowing she had interrupted the two made her more self conscious than usual. Even outside of the Sacred Grove, she was still the same demure, polite fairy she had always been.

[Ayameru]

Was being a ruler that big of a deal? Aya couldn't help but wonder how truly smart was it to have the leader of a race such as the Ooccas disclose himself to a pair of vagrant fairies. Given that even though Aya and Ani would not harm a fly (less that fly bugged them in any explainable fashion), she still couldn't help but wonder did it have anything to do with the fact that he put quite a bit of trust in the girls or was it out of some kind of formality? She assumed up the ladder, because it was a good thing to have a bit of trust in others. It may not be big, but something as important as a name known across Hyrule was probably a big deal. Still, Sky Lord or not, he will always be Feathers to Ayameru.

This only furthered her speculations when she noticed that boyish smile he gave her when she voiced her interest in seeing the city. Preferably having Ryst himself take them there~ She felt quite honored to be even considered apart of his people when he mentioned ruling the skies. Sure, fairies didn't have feathers, but their wings were just as powerful as the Ooccas, and they could fly just the same. She nodded softly at his words, ruling not only the city, but also the skies themselves. Her eyes flickered merrily at his approval, and teasing. "Feathers, you and me, we've got a good done deal," she said, giving him a thumbs-up, a sign of approval. She could grow to like him~

Let's not forget about Ani too. It was a given that wherever the redhead would go, her sister would follow close behind. Aya could not bare to separate herself from her twin, her second-conscience, and keeper of her sanity. "Wherever I go, she goes too," she said confidently, "I can't be selfish, and see the city all to myself now, can I?"

She quirked up a brow at her shy sister, but something else seemed to have brought her a bit of discomfort. What troubled her twin? She didn't see anything wrong with the whole deal going on now, but it was as if Ani felt like the awkward third-wheel between this whole conversation. Aya, by no means, wanted to make her poor sister uncomfortable. She hoped she wasn't doing anything stupid again... Then again, Ani has always been the polite, and quiet child of the Crossfire daughters. She wished she had that grace that her sweet twin had.

"We'll save the race for another time, ne?" she asked, that cocky smile of hers gleaming, making a silent promise towards Ryst that they'll race with each other again.

[Ryst Seraphine]

Feathers. This was the name Ayameru had come to refer to him as. It was fitting, to say the least, as if there was one thing he had that neither of the Crossfire twins had, it was feathers. Of course in the City it might make a few people turn heads, and make a few of those gasp in shock when they realized who it was Aya was referring to with such a casual manner. That thought alone brought a sense of giddy spite to Ryst, as he could use this as a new way to annoy his steward; his ultimate goal was to annoy the man so much that he’d just do his job and not worry about Ryst.

The Vagrant Prince nodded at the second request. ”Of course; I would not want to seem unwelcoming or inhospitable. The gates of the City and the doors of the palace are open to you two whenever you like. Though you may need to wait until I return there to give such a command,” he said with a little laugh at the simple, not-so-funny joke.

Red had another request on top of the one involving her sister. Another race. Well that thought alone was probably making the steward break into sweats wherever he was back in the resort. And that very fact was one of the main reasons Ryst nodded to her request. That fact, and the fact that he found her company more and more enjoyable. ”Just don’t expect me to go easy on you next time,” he mused, throwing her a cocky grin to match that beaming smile of hers.

That moment didn’t last long, however, as Ryst turned his eyes to the abandoned fort that they had stumbled upon. He gave a nod in its direction, then a look at Ani and Aya. ”Care to continue this little adventure we’ve found ourselves on?” he asked them both, glancing once more from one to the other before starting toward the crumbled main gate, before Ani either of them could object to the suggestion.

[delanie]

Ani managed a grateful smile to her sister, sincerely wishing she was not such an awkward weight to carry around. Lord Ryst appeared to be rather kind, but it was just her natural shyness that was getting the better of her. A habit she had never been able to break, nor would she ever. Perhaps her being secluded her entire life had been a major factor in being such a way. Well, it was certainly not that way for her twin, and Ani was going to try and be more confident in herself. Even if that meant turning the other cheek to Aya's more crazy ideas of what fun was. Icicle boarding was not something she would ever try, but climbing a mountain seemed more fun. There were many nook and crannies to explore in Snowpeak, and the dilapidated fort close to them appeared to be one such nook. She wondered what it had been used for. Shelter? A base for soldiers? Part of a long gone village? If there one was thing Ani did have, it was her active imagination. Already she could picture the fort within her mind, along with what the City in the Sky could appear like. Carmine eyes flickered back onto Lord Ryst, quite eager to hear his answer to their requests.

Her shyness broke as a rather bright smile crossed her lips. "Truly? Thank you so much for your kindness," she stated, her stutter gone as her excitement got the better of her. Ani clasped her hands in front of her, bowing politely in her gratitude. It did not have to do with his station at all, but with the manners ingrained to her since young. Well, even if her shyness was forgotten, some things would not change. Her gaze flickered to her twin, noticing the use of that peculiar nickname she held for him. Not all that odd, since he did have feathered wings. A knowing smile appeared upon her lips, but it vanished soon after. No, there was certainly no need for Aya to get suspicious of her at all~! Turning away as they conversed about another race, she looked back to the fallen fort. Would that be their next destination once conversation dissolved? If so, then Ani would certainly not disagree to such a venture. Her mood was much lighter than it had been before.

Already Lord Ryst was looking to the ruins, voicing his question to the two of them. Ani glanced to her sister, ready to follow after her as she always would. It appeared he would not wait for their answer, as she had set off for what appeared to be the gate to the fort. Was he going on without an answer in case she would object? Honestly, Ani was unsure whether to feel offended if that were the scenario. Deciding not to argue about nothing, she followed after the Oocca without a word. No, she would keep her own thoughts, and let Aya and him converse amongst themselves. Ani had her own mind for company, and she was content with that for the time being. Imagination could be better than people at times.

[Ayameru]

He was the first Oocca she's ever had the chance to meet, and go figure, she'd run into the Oocca Lord, himself. Still, it only goes to show that even those who held titles of great importance were still living creatures, who had their own wants and needs they would like to have fulfilled. In a way, she felt she could relate to Ryst, in the sense that she too, wanted to just be herself. It was so easy to be strong, easy to put up a front for everyone to see - no, what people wanted to see in you.

It was a lot harder to be yourself, to release all of those thick skinned facades you build up within your life, and show your true colors in front of people. Aya was glad that he didn't mind the new nickname she gave him. Childish as it seemed, Aya was quite happy that she had something special to share with him, if only a silly little name of how casual their pleasantries have become.

"Sounds good to me," she replied. It was probably a crime to be smiling too much, because Aya was doing quite a lot of it at the moment. The fire fairy felt as if for once in her life, someone besides her sister, was actually looking at Aya, and she alone. All of her life she's been nothing more than a shadow of her sister's glories. Their beauty excelling far greater than the ninth daughter of the Crossfires, and without a form of originality of her own practically meant she didn't exist at all. She did not want that kind of life. She could not live her life being bound to being compared to how poor her manners were or that she wasn't as elegant or dainty as her sisters. Feathers... no - Ryst, however, broke the mold, and actually was looking at a girl that wanted to be seen as an individual.

The fire in her eyes burn bright when he replied to her challenge. He would not go easy on her the next time around. It made her look forward to it even more, furthering her belief that, this was real. Ryst wasn't just a figment of her imagination, and Ani could be her witness as well so she could remind Aya that she wasn't dreaming. None of this was just a dream.

She couldn't prevent her laughter from escaping her slender lips as Ryst gestured to continue with their little adventure. Might as well finish what they started. Ani seemed quite enthusiastic about venturing into the ruins as well~ That was a clear 'a-okay' sigh for Aya that the three of them would continue their journey together. Nodding her head softly, she walked up further, trusting her sister to follow behind as she caught up with Ryst.

"Shall we?" she asked playfully.

[Ryst Seraphine]

Ryst smiled sideways at Ayameru as she caught up to him. ”We shall,” he said, as casually as that. Old, decrepit fortress on the edge of a cliff at the bottom of a treacherous mountain slope? What could possibly go wrong? He glanced over his shoulder at Ani and grinned. ”Looks like it’s a party,” he added and continued forward, through the collapsed remains of what might have once been great gates. Now they were just rusted iron bars protruding hopefully out of the ground, reaching for what used to be their home high above before the chains had snapped and the gate fallen.

Immediately inside was the courtyard where once troops might have mingled and rallied at the call of their commander. Now various foliage grew through the light layer of snow that covered what was once hard-packed earth. In a far section the ground had actually collapsed in on itself, revealing some of the tunnels underneath them, and at the right angles, a section where the tunnels themselves had been blown out and opened into the world at the edge of the cliff. Ryst stepped into the middle of the courtyard and looked around.

”A little disappointing. Looks like the place was hit hard by something and everything has long cleared out,” he said, crouching down and examining the snow around their feet at a closer angle. Outside of their own footprints there were no others that he could see, but then he wasn’t a trained tracker or anything like that. ”I guess we’ll continue on to the main section?” he asked, looking at his two female colleagues and nodding toward the main keep of the fortress, wherein all the people would have lived their lives.

Ryst had studied this kind of structure in his youth. Well . . . studied is a bit of an inappropriate word, as he sort of glanced through and then ran off to find the nearest gambling den. But he knew enough about how they were laid out to get his tutor’s approval, which had to stand for something. Then again he had a habit of paying off his tutor to pass him too. But that was another story. Ahem.

[delanie]

The ruins were certainly something to marvel at, and she followed quietly behind her sister and the Oocca Lord. Ani still felt like the third wheel of their group, and so she would merely keep to herself. [Not that that was anything unusual.] Her sister would have time to spend with the handsome male, and she could keep her attention with the interesting ruins that surrounded them. Ani did wonder what had caused them to collapse. War? Famine? Nature? A combination of the three? History had been her favorite study when she was younger, and her parents had only fed that fire by giving her many books to read. Legends of Hyrule, along with various myths about the three Goddesses. So many texts to keep her enraptured and up at night, trying to share her interests with her twin. Well, at least Aya had feigned interest for her own benefit.

Carmine eyes looked to the collapsed tunnels buried beneath rubble and snow, wondering if war had indeed caused this destruction. The ways the ruins appeared to be broken apart suggested such a fact. It appeared Lord Ryst thought the same, but she soon noticed that all these ruins had to offer were mystery of what may have happened. Any pottery, valuables, or trinkets had long ago fallen prey to nature, or had been looted by thieves. That was rather disappointing, but at least these ruins still remained as a testament to the past. Who could have lived here? What was the purpose of this building? Ani believed it to have been a fortress of some sort, since the ruins indicated a courtyard of sorts. Perhaps there would be a barracks? Glancing back to him, she nodded at his suggestion. There was not much to go on here, so maybe the main section would yield more information to the three of them.

Ani walked ahead of the two, her own interest carrying her forward. It would certainly give them time to spend together. She would not venture too far off, and it was fun to allow herself to become immersed in her own imaginings. The daily life this keep offered, and who may have lived within it's walls at one time. Oh, if only these old stones could talk, but that would take half of the fun out of speculation! Dropping to her knees, her slim fingers reached out to stroke the weathered stones gently. Cold and rough against her fingertips, seeing little cracks and breaks in the base of the fortress. The cold had either split the stones, or they were from outside damage of humans. Bringing herself back into a standing position, Ani glanced over her shoulder with a slight smile to her lips. "I'm going to explore a little further down. I won't go too far!" she reassured her sister, soon running off to do her own little exploration of the fortress more in depth.

[Exit Ani.]

[Ayameru]

Unlike Ani, Aya wasn't too keen on the whole historical part of ancient stuff, that is, until she's actually up close, and personal with them. Textbooks filled with words, and endless descriptions over old relics, and myths, legends, and all of that good stuff~ They just didn't keep her attention unless she's actually got a real life experience about it.

The Snowpeak Ruins was a perfect example for the redhead to think about what kind of place it might have been before it's establishment collapsed. Not to mention with Feathers being around with the group, it made them a party, exploring the empty ruins. What could be better than that? Aya followed the gang with wonder filled in her eyes, actually liking the idea of excavating the place. Who knew what kind of things they would run into, you know~

Her firelight eyes flickered at the scene before her. Questions began to fill her mind up with an innocent curiosity as to how buildings like these, if they were in their prime, worked as far as building a society out of. She looked back over to Ryst as he mentioned about the place being cleared out. Aya wouldn't be surprised. You couldn't tell how long this place has long since been abandoned, so it was very unlikely that anything was left for them to take a look at. Still there was that tinge of hope that they might, just might, get a chance to see something valuable or possible even treasure.

When the Oocca Lord suggested looking into the main section of the ruins, she smiled softly, and nod her head in agreement. However Ani had her sights set on somewhere else. As soon as she said her word about not straying away from sight, Aya trusted that she'd keep her word. Her sister was always the imaginative one, always diving into the realms of fantasy, and satisfy her need to explore places outside of the net of interest. The redhead was fine with it so long as she was still within the same vicinity as Ryst and Aya~

"She'll be fine," she said confidently, "Now let's head over to the main section." With that said, she took off, trusting that Ryst would follow. So that the two of them could do more exploring on other things. She couldn't help but wonder if this place used to belong to humans or perhaps hylians for that matter? Perhaps she can find a suit of armor that would tell her. Either way, she was excited about it all.

[ Exit ]

[Ryst Seraphine]

^{OOC: Oh jesus I should've finished this a while ago. Time for short post of epicosity to finish it off. ಠ_ಠ}

Ryst watched as Ani flew off. If she was a relative of Ayameru then he shouldn't be surprised. The fiery fairy he had just met was certainly adventurous, and no doubt at least a little of that runs in the family. Ani flew off and left the two of them alone. The Vagrant Prince read a little deeper into it, though he probably shouldn't, wondering if Ani decided to leave the two of them some alone time together, or if it really was idle curiosity and an urge to explore in that direction. He considered it momentarily but shrugged the thought to the side. That wasn't what this was about.

He turned back to Ayameru, who was staring awestruck into the fortress. It was certainly an adventure waiting for the two of them. Ryst didn't find himself as eager so much to find out about the fortress as to enjoy the company some more, but he wasn't going to vocalize that. Instead he watched as Ayameru skipped merrily ahead before taking those first few steps onward to whatever trek was lying inside that fortress, and the adventure it held.

Oh the steward would have a heart attack if he knew.

[Exeunt]